Derivative
by thir13enth
Summary: Complete. Kakashi, the new calculus teacher, meets a depressed student in one of his classes. After finding a little more about his student, he tries to help...and only gets dragged into a hell of a lot more chaos. KakaKush KakaAnko
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! This is another story for my mission to write fanfictions on all the Naruto pairings! This request was from RainingSprinklesDownMyThroat who wanted KakashiXKushina. Took a bit of twisting, but I got it! And of course, being me, I just had to add some KakashiXAnko for my other fans.**

**Enjoy! I really like this story myself, and hope you do too! A bit of a slow beginning, I must admit, but things will change exponentially!**

**I'm apologizing in advance if the story's too mathy or something (I didn't put too much in there though, besides one lecture and the definition in the whole story). But Kakashi's a calculus teacher and well, there's an instantaneous rate of change going because of one of the variables in his life!**

**Midori Fujiwara**

_**Derivative**__-the instantaneous rate of change of a function with respect to one of its variables_

Kakashi Hatake stared at the red stoplight above him, and upon it changing to green, he pressed down on the gas pedal and accelerated down the long straight road.

He was already late for his class, which wasn't particularly good because he was the teacher.

But it was his first day teaching at this high school; he had recently moved in from a city more south about five or six miles. He'd be the freshman teacher, and that would be his excuse for being late.

So he didn't bother to increase the speed of his car while driving into the school parking lot. He swerved swiftly into an empty parking space, one of the few ones remaining, and dragged his messenger bag over his shoulder while making his way to his classroom. He climbed three flights, made a right, and walked into the room two doors to the left, where rowdy students awaited him.

Taking a quick glance with the eye of an experienced teacher, he quickly picked out the different personas of his classroom, already figuring out who was suspected to be the smart one, the loud one, or the sleepy one. These were juniors, and many of them knew each other well. It was also the first day of school, and the juniors hadn't seen each other over the whole summer. No doubt they had lots of shit to talk about, but Kakashi noticed a rather quiet and looking depressed kid on the left side against a wall.

Blond spiky hair and blue eyes with rather tan skin.

Kakashi looked over toward the empty large desk that was in front of a whiteboard, apparently for him. He swung his bag over onto the table surface and looped the strap over his head to take the bag off. Then he stepped back and leaned against the whiteboard, arms crossed and eyes surveying the class.

The class had begun to automatically quiet down by this time, which was good because Kakashi hadn't said a word yet.

That was better than the previous high school he had taught at. There he had no control over the students even after yelling his throat dry.

A good change.

Kakashi took a breath and said, "Good morning guys, I am Mr. Hatake and you should be my calculus students."

A few kids nodded, and some majority chirped a greeting back to him.

"That's pretty good that you guys all got into calculus at junior year," Kakashi continued. "Well then, let's have a good school year, and I'll learn all your names later." Kakashi walked back to his bag to produce a stack of papers. "But first, I want you guys to take this diagnostic test so I can see which of you are stupid, smart, or think you're smart. Then we can get to business. Oh, and the test will count for a grade."

Again, only a few kids laughed dryly while the rest were silent, as though demanding why there was so much work already on the first day of school. He heard a few pencils clink against some desks. Some students were whispering to borrow pencils or erasers from others.

"Well what did you guys expect? Some name game or a hula hoop activity?" Kakashi asked, passing down the papers from column to column. "This is calculus. Things won't get any more fun."

He had a few extras and went back to his desk to look at the problems that he had given them. He solved them quickly and wrote the estimated answer down on paper, then looked up at the time. It was only three problems, so he'd offer them about twenty minutes, since each problem had several steps, and because summer rusted students' minds.

Kakashi got bored quickly however, and he walked back to the center front of the classroom.

"Well, I'm bored, and I decided that I might as well distract you guys because I'm not expecting such high grades," he said, watching a few heads pop up, while the others stared down at the menacing problems on the paper. "Like I said, I'm Mr. Hatake, and this is my first year teaching here. I have taught before at another high school a little more south from here. Hm…what else can I say about myself? I guess you'll just find out yourself as the year progresses."

He paused and scanned the classroom once again.

"My classroom policies….I don't really have much. You can do whatever you like in this classroom as long as I don't get fired when my boss walks in randomly. If you want to sleep or talk in this class and not pay attention, go right ahead, but it's completely your grade at the end of the year. I don't have too many pet peeves, but again you'll learn those as the year goes by…"

Kakashi looked around again while trying to think of more things to say.

"My grading is flexible. I might curve or not. Test grades count three times as much as other grades, because I'm following county rules. I check homework for completion…you only need a graphing calculator and a pen or pencil in this class. Whether you take notes or not is entirely up to you. I don't require a binder or whatever, just as long as you have my homework here…"

Kakashi looked up at the time. There were about ten more minutes left.

"We can have a ton of fun here as long as you guys cooperate. I'm a heavy procrastinator myself so if we finish a lesson early, I want to get ahead to the next one even if we're weeks ahead of the schedule. That way we can watch movies or party every class after we finish the lessons. Actually considering this is the morning class, I'll break some rules and not require you guys to come to class toward the end of the year and lie about that on the attendance record—again don't do anything crazy to get me fired…"

Kakashi noted the five minutes remaining. Some students had given up on the problems and were just listening to him, while others were a bit more persistent.

"Ah yes, homework grades again, I forgot to tell you that homework grades are an A or F. I don't accept late grades…but I think that's all for now."

He stepped up a few feet and warned, "Time's running out guys, finish up. "

That statement let a few students put down their pencils, and still more persistent ones scribbled frantically. No student looked particularly happy.

The blond-haired, blue –eyed kid was staring off at the board behind Kakashi.

Kakashi called time and collected the papers, tossing them onto his desk and stating, "You guys are all idiots."

He observed each of their reactions, and then sat on his desk.

"I never said that you couldn't ask me to help you guys on this," he simply said. "You guys could have just asked me to explain each problem through with you. You guys could have asked me for the answer. Now you're all starting with F's for the year only because you didn't think outside the box. You assumed that I wouldn't help you."

Silence from the students.

"I won't be counting this for a grade, but learn the lesson: if you ever need any help or anything, just ask me. And this is for anything, whether it's math, a bully, an idea for an excuse, your pet, your parents, your ex who keeps coming back…or whatever other insane problem you have. Don't feel restrained to ask me. Remember that I'm not only here to get paid but also for you."

Kakashi smiled, and some students returned his smiled. Others were disbelieving. But generally, the class's mood was lighter than during the mock test.

"Okay then class, let's try that diagnostic test again," Kakashi said, picking up the handful of papers once again. "Here's where I learn your names…Hinta Hyuuga?"

A small girl in the front raised her hand, and he took the name and face to memory quickly while calling out name after name.

After several names, he got to Naruto Uzumaki.

And the blond-haired and blue-eyed kid weakly rose his hand.

Kakashi glanced at his paper. It was clear that Naruto knew how to solve the first problem but he was only halfway through when he suddenly stopped. The rest of the problems were left incomplete as well.

Kakashi handed the paper to him, and continued down the rest of the class.

"Okay then, let's start with the first question. Read it for me, someone?" Kakashi asked while turning his back to the class and holding the marker in his hand. He wrote as it was said, and then stepped back to look at the mess of a problem.

"I gave that problem to you? No wonder you guys looked devastated. Damn…that problem's insane," Kakashi admitted.

Some kids laughed and he heard one voice yell, "That's why your hair's growing in, sir."

Kakashi turned around to credit the student for the joke, seeing the rest of the class crack up as well.

But Kakashi noticed that Naruto didn't even smile.


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, I'm actually surprised at how this story didn't work too bad with the statistics after all...Thank you readers and reviewers!**

**Enjoy.**

**Midori Fujiwara.**

**

* * *

**

Kakashi was becoming happily situated with his new students. One month was all they needed to accept him into the new high school atmosphere. He was getting some good reputation from the students and the other teachers as well. His boss was approving of the good grades coming out of the class. Overall, the grades were at least a B minus or higher, and Kakashi was feeling pretty confident that the year would turn out pretty good, and that he had made a good decision in moving.

But there was still one problem that Kakashi couldn't figure out.

Naruto, the same quiet blond-haired, blue-eyed kid wasn't doing too well in his class. Kakashi knew he was bright, because he answered the questions in class correctly. However, he didn't do his homework, and only went halfway with his test, never quite finishing the question.

He laid out all the recent tests that Naruto hadn't finished, and studied the pattern of incompletion. Naruto seemed to not do any of the problems that had to do with calculations or specific numbers.

So when opening day came by and the parents got to visit each of their students' classes, Kakashi carefully noted Naruto's parents. Naruto came in with only his mother, a midde-age woman with strong red hair. She would have been quite beautiful had she not looked so weary and tired.

When Kakashi finished his parents' day lecture and the parents started to explore his classroom and its decorations, Kakashi called Naruto over to his desk, and his mother followed him.

"Hi, Kakashi Hatake," Kakashi greeted Naruto's mother with a smile and an outstretched hand.

"Hi," Naruto's mother returned the smile and hesitantly took his hand to a shake. "Kushina Uzumaki."

"Naruto's a really bright kid," Kakashi quickly said. "But I noticed his grades were falling and he doesn't normally do his homework. Um…just wanted to make you aware of that."

Naruto's face was unexpressive as Kakashi gave his mother a thorough report.

Kushina looked troubled, but she replied, "Oh…Naruto gets lazy sometimes, but I'll talk to him and things will turn out better…thank you."

"No problem," Kakashi said. "I'm just worried about his grades, you know, don't want him to fail. And he's a very smart kid, he just doesn't do his work."

Kushina plastered on a smile and nodded. "Yes, yes…"

* * *

But Kakashi highly doubted that Naruto's lack of effort had much to do with laziness.

Naruto just looked a bit depressed, and it seemed like something was distracting him from doing the best he could.

Naruto's grades never rose, and stayed at a solid D.

Finally Kakashi called him to talk to him during his spare lunch time.

Naruto came up that same day, eyes not even questioning why Kakashi had wanted to talk privately with him.

Kakashi had already made his conclusion.

"Naruto, do you have a graphing calculator?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto froze, as though he didn't expect Kakashi to say that, expecting Kakashi to maybe scold him for not trying so hard. But Naruto shook his head.

Kakashi replied, "Oh well, why didn't you tell me or something?"

Naruto shrugged.

Kakashi thought for a brief moment. "Naruto…is everything going alright with you? Is something happening at home or…something?"

Naruto shook his head and his eyes were glassy, unwilling to provide any unspoken information.

Kakashi waited for some time for a better response, but no other word escaped from Naruto's mouth. Yet Naruto looked so….out of it, and so depressed. There had to have been something that Naruto didn't want to share.

"Naruto, I can help you with whatever you need," Kakashi reminded him. "You just simply have to tell me."

Naruto shook his head and repeated, "Nothing's wrong."

Kakashi stared directly into his student's eyes, but his student didn't give way.

"Okay then, Naruto," Kakashi sighed and dismissed Naruto.

Naruto walked quickly out of his room.

Kakashi stared at his computer screen for some time, and then quickly searched Naruto's name up in the school record database.

Kakashi discovered that Naruto's grades were just as low as the grade in his class. Naruto wasn't doing too well in his other classes as well. Kakashi thought for a little while more and then clicked on another option and examined his past grades from last year.

He found that Naruto had straight A's, which explained why he was placed in all the advanced classes for his grade. Such a sudden drop in all the classes? Something had to have happened over the summer, because no one changed that drastically. There couldn't have been any change that instantaneous. Kakashi scanned the teachers and the classes from last year, recognizing a few names. He committed those names to memory before his stomach began to demand food.

Kakashi had forgotten to pack a lunch or snack for himself and reluctantly made his way down to the school cafeteria, drawing out a few bills from his wallet.

Apparently teachers had somewhat of a VIP pass and Kakashi didn't have to wait in line. He bought a slice of pizza and headed over the vending machine for a soda, saying hi to a few students who greeted him on the way. He slipped a dollar into the machine and pressed the corresponding button for the drink he wanted. While waiting for the machine to process, he looked around the cafeteria, having never been in this part of the school before.

Instantly, Kakashi noticed Naruto was sitting lonely by himself once again, eating a sandwich from a paper bag accompanied with a dented bottle of water.

Kakashi quickly recalled that Naruto didn't have a graphing calculator as well.

And Kakashi had never seen Naruto's father before. And Naruto's mother was tired when Kakashi had met her.

Drawing up a few conclusions, Kakashi sighed and stooped to pick up his can of soda and change before stepping out of the way to exit the cafeteria. He looked back at Naruto, now noticing a few boys approach him.

Kakashi moved to the side in order not to block anyone and simply watched the interaction between the boys and his student. He couldn't hear from all the way across a noisy cafeteria but Kakashi could tell that Naruto was obviously disturbed by the boys or by whatever they had said, because Naruto quickly scooped up his lunch bag and water bottle to walk away from the taunting boys.

A bully problem?

* * *

Kakashi had recognized one of the bullies however, and he happened to have in the next class that he taught. He called the boy over to talk to him.

"I saw you making fun of Naruto during lunch today?"

The bully scoffed, as though he hadn't done anything wrong. "You really are the newbie in town," the bully said. "Naruto's insane."

"Insane?" Kakashi said in a statement of disbelief.

"Naruto's going to end up just like his brother!" the bully continued.

* * *

**Naruto out of character and Naruto has a brother? How much more insane can that be? But hey, I already explained I have to twist the story...**

**Hopefully you guys are picking out the clues and foreshadowing, it's not much fun if I just give all the information to you!**

**Midori Fujiwara**

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

**Well this chapter's a bit shorter...Thank you all readers and reviewers! You are my reason for living as a self-claimed author!**

**Enjoy! Don't forget to drop a comment!**

**Midori Fujiwara

* * *

**

Kakashi had forgotten his lunch once again, and decided to get the exact same thing. However this time, he did not spot Naruto anywhere, and Kakashi didn't want to assume it was because of the bullies that were teasing him.

What the bully had told Kakashi was intriguing though.

Like his brother? Insane?

Kakashi spotted one of the chemistry teachers that he was familiar with. He also happened to remember the teacher's name, and recognize the teacher as one of Naruto's teachers from last year.

"Hey Mitarashi," Kakashi greeted, watching her bend down to produce a Snickers bar from the vending machine tray. She had two more outstretched dollars in her hand.

"Oh…hey Hatake," Mitarashi replied, inserting another dollar into the machine and pressing the buttons for what Kakashi saw as another Snickers bar. She took that one from the machine when it dropped as well, feeding the machine her last dollar. "What's up?" she asked, noticing that Kakashi wasn't simply just walking by.

"Chocolate monster, much?" Kakashi replied, and Mitarashi smiled, but then scowled when the machine rejected her dollar. She flattened the dollar and tried again.

"You had Uzumaki last year right?" Kakashi asked. "For chemistry?"

Mitarashi nodded, and smiled when her dollar was accepted. "I have him again for second year chemistry."

"What do you know about his brother?"

Mitarashi was obviously disturbed, since a bag of pretzels came out of the vending machine instead. Kakashi noticed that she had pressed the wrong button; one button below the Snickers bar.

She reached down for the pretzels anyways, despite making a wrong selection.

"His brother was Nagare Uzumaki," she simply answered, and walked over next to Kakashi. "Here, come to my room, we'll talk."

So Kakashi followed her and she stepped quickly over to her desk and pulled out a drawer. Placing her snacks on the table, she shuffled through some papers until her hand reached a cut newspaper article.

"Naruto was one of my favorite students…" Mitarashi added, handing the newspaper clip to Kakashi, who quickly downed the last of his soda and tossed the can into a blue bin by the door.

"It was a tragedy, what happened," Mitarashi continued, her eyebrows furrowed. Her hands flicked over to open the Snickers wrapper, and she quickly took a bite of candy, chewing away some stress.

Kakashi read over the text of the article.

Son Kills Own Father.

The rest of the article's words were jumble in Kakashi's head and he slowly placed the article back on Mitarashi's desk.

"Nagare Uzumaki was in a gang involved with drugs and alcohol selling through a tight network of the black market," Mitarashi continued. "Among them, he was known as Kyuubi. Nagare…it was obvious he was going to jail, but no one would have ever guessed that it would be his father's murder that he would be imprisoned for."

"So Naruto lost his father…" Kakashi repeated, sympathy washing over his head.

"Ms. Mitarashi, I have the homework assignment that I never turned in yesterday—"

Mitarashi's door opened and Naruto popped in a small smile, which disappeared when he noticed Kakashi standing by Mitarashi's desk, which had a clipped newspaper article that he recognized all too well.

* * *

**Hm...questions are popping all over your head and all this story plot twisting.....I told you it was alternate universe.**

**Midori Fujiwara**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay then, cranking out another chapter! Enjoy!**

**Midori Fujiwara

* * *

**

Kakashi called Naruto to his class after lunch to talk to him after discovering what might have been keeping Naruto depressed.

Naruto didn't have a solemn and unresponsive emotion drawn on his face any longer however.

"Will you leave me the fuck alone?" Naruto yelled at Kakashi.

Kakashi didn't even flinch and let Naruto rant at him, hoping for a chance to just be able to say a word to the raging student.

"My brother is _insane_!" Naruto continued. "He's in _jail _and he's not part of my life anymore!"

"Doesn't look like you've gotten over it," Kakashi bluntly said.

Naruto cursed him. "I have," Naruto spat back. "And I'm just alone because I like it that way! And as for your calculus shit, it's just too fucking hard and I'm not going to spend money on a graphing calculator for a class I'm going to fail in any case! Just leave me alone!" Naruto paused for a moment to breathe. "This has_ nothing _to do with you! You're my _teacher_! Just a teacher!"

"Naruto, I told you," Kakashi said, his voice calm. "I told you in the beginning of the year. You can come to me for anything. If you can't afford a calculator or you're still grieving—"

"You're a _teacher_," Naruto repeated, and then he walked out of Kakashi's room, slamming the door behind him.

Kakashi watched Naruto's grade in his class drop to a F. He waited for a while before he was required to make the mandatory call to his parent informing about the failing grade.

His mother picked up the phone.

"Hi, Mrs. Uzumaki?"

"Yes…who is this?"

"Hi, this is Mr. Hatake, Naruto's calculus teacher," Kakashi quickly introduced himself once again.

"Hello…Mr. Hatake."

"Well, the bad news is that Naruto is failing my class. His grades have dropped down an F. Um…" Kakashi paused. "I understand about…his situation. I…am aware about what happened over the summer…but I'll try as much as I can to have him pass. I won't let such a bright student fail—"

Kakashi was interrupted by an awkward silence.

Kushina spoke a while later.

"Naruto…just feels very guilty," Kushina said.

Kakashi understood this even though it was obvious Naruto had nothing to do with his father's death. Often the relative of a victim takes blame against him or herself. Still, Kakashi asked, "Guilty?"

Kushina sighed, and Kakashi could see her tired and depressed face through the heavy breath against the phone.

"The bullet…the bullet was meant for him."

* * *

**Hm. I like that last sentence. And you?**

**Midori Fujiwara**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you all readers and reviewers! I can't believe you guys are still with me on this twisted plot! Thank you for everything!**

**Midori Fujiwara

* * *

**

"Mr. Hatake?"

"Hm?" Kakashi looked up from one of the proof papers he was grading.

"On the homework," Sakura asked. "Could you go over number 37?"

Kakashi stood up, taking the marker from behind his ear. "Could you read that out to me?"

She did and he stepped back to look at the equation.

"Here, start off by separating this term into two fractions so that it's easier to work with," Kakashi explained. "Here, x squared and y cubed over x squared plus two xy plus y squared would be the same as x over x plus two xy plus y squared and—"

"Mr. Hatake, that should be x squared over the x squared," Neji corrected Kakashi.

"Hm?" Kakashi's eyes narrowed and reexamined what he had written.

"Oh…shit," Kakashi said, upon realizing what he had done.

Kakashi's eyebrows furrowed. He didn't normally make those kinds of mistakes…maybe Naruto's case was disturbing him a bit too much.

The bullet…was meant for him?

* * *

Naruto was absent the next day. Kakashi looked twice to ensure that his student wasn't there, and then after an hour into class, finally marked Naruto absent and sent the attendance in, hoping that maybe Naruto would show up within the next minute or so.

Naruto didn't come for the rest of the week.

* * *

Until Friday.

Kakashi asked Naruto if he had an excused absence note when Naruto walked into class.

Naruto replied with an arrogant no, and Kakashi didn't want to bother asking, despite being worried that something more had happened over the weekend.

Kakashi tried to take the rest of the day as lightly as he could, but his mind kept trailing over to why Naruto wasn't able to come for that whole week except today. He had no excuse as well. It would go on his record and stay there.

Kakashi admitted to himself that maybe he was worrying about the one student a bit too much, but he couldn't help himself. His conscience went out to all his students, and if one had a problem, Kakashi took it personally.

That was part of the reason why Kakashi had to move and switch high school he taught in.

He got too close to his students that he was just dragged into whatever problems they had outside of school.

* * *

Kakashi dismissed his last class early because of the heavy rain, understanding that some students had a bus to catch and others would have to drive through some traffic. Kakashi himself, however, stayed a while after to catch up with his grading. He waited for five minutes after the dismissal bell to avoid a huge crowd of students and, since he didn't carry an umbrella, quickly sprinted over to his car, raindrops colliding against his face while he struggled to get the keys out of his pockets, a challenge while raining at high speeds.

But eventually Kakashi got into his car and tossed his messenger bag into the front passenger seat. He quickly scanned the busy street, and decided to take a side road, driving as quickly as he could. Then he noticed a familiar orange jacket. The same tattered, small one that he saw on a particular student each day.

Naruto.

Kakashi accelerated and stopped by the curb, meeting with Naruto's walking speed and rolled down the window.

"Naruto!" Kakashi called.

Naruto looked at Kakashi with surprise. But the rain seemed to cool the anger he would usually have against Kakashi off, and he got into the back seat, closing a half-beaten umbrella and tucking himself into the dry interior of Kakashi's car.

Kakashi drove back into the road and the rain held silence for a while, drops pattering against the car roof and windshield.

"So why hadn't you told me from the beginning about your father?" Kakashi finally asked.

Naruto took a while to answer.

"I figured you already knew," Naruto said, referring to the time that he had noticed Kakashi in Mitarashi's room with the newspaper article.

Kakashi thought a bit before replying. "Naruto…it's okay…you don't' have to bottle it all up. Hadn't I mentioned that you could come to me for help?"

"Yeah…but what are you going to do?" Naruto challenged. "You don't anything! You don't even come close to understanding!"

Kakashi's hands tightened on the steering wheel.

"Then tell me about everything."

That shut Naruto up.

Naruto only barked out street directions from there on.

They reached his house a while later and Kakashi stopped as close as he could to the curb so that Naruto could reach home as dry as possible.

Kakashi watched Naruto knock on the door, and then his mother opened up the door. Naruto pointed back at Kakashi's car, and Kakashi, not sure if his mother could see, waved with as much friendliness as he could.

Kushina smiled, but Kakashi couldn't tell if it was forced or not. He wasn't sure if she was grateful or just felt extremely awkward.

But Kakashi didn't suspect that it was the latter, because Kushina came out greet Kakashi by the car, and Kakashi rolled down his window.

"Thank you so much!" Kushina thanked him. Then thinking a bit, she invited him into their house to eat dinner.

Kakashi could only say yes in respect.

Dinner was served over a small table, and Naruto had to fetch a chair from another room to fit Kakashi into the table. The meal wasn't too grand, but it was simple and smelled good.

And so accordingly was the taste.

Kushina was first to finish the meal, and stood up to go back into the kitchen. Kakashi felt a bit awkward and quickly shoveled the rest of the food into his mouth and joined Kushina in the kitchen to drop off his plate into the sink.

Kakashi noted the sound of running water was loud enough to cover his voice.

"Mrs. Uzumaki…"

"Kushina, please," she asked sternly, and Kakashi assumed it was because she didn't want any remnants of her husband's death lurking.

"Kushina…Naruto was out all week except today," Kakashi stated simply, implying that he wanted an explanation or an excuse.

But Naruto popped into the kitchen at that moment, and Kakashi quickly regained his posture like he was doing nothing and simply walked out of the kitchen, looking around at Naruto's home.

It was old, and a bit worn down. Livable was the best adjective.

Kakashi reached into his back pocket for his wallet and took out all the bills that he had with him, placing it on the table.

Kushina and Naruto met back with Kakashi outside of the kitchen and Kakashi thanked the two for the delicious meal, while they walked him to the door.

Before Kakashi stepped out, he reminded, "Naruto, tell me whenever you need a ride."

Naruto stiffly nodded.

* * *

Kakashi received a phone call later that night.

"Yes?"

"Mr. Hatake?"

"Yes? Is this Mrs. Uzu—Kushina?" Kakashi corrected himself.

"Thank you, but you really didn't have to leave any money," she said.

Kakashi shrugged, but then remembered that he was on the phone and said, "No problem."

Silence.

"And…Naruto was absent for the week."

"Yes…"

"He…he had tried to commit suicide," she quickly explained.

Kakashi was left speechless.

* * *

**Hm...things just keep getting worse and worse...**

**"Kakashi shrugged, but then remembered that he was on the phone."—that was the author putting some of her own characteristics into her characters! I do that all the time! lol...**

**So....how are the events sorting out in your head...? Catastrophically? That's how Hatake feels! Drop a review or some response or something!**

**Midori Fujiwara**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hm...not so much of a twisty chapter...apparently my readers both love and hate those...but in this chapter there's lots of hidden implications and foreshadowing that you might--if you like too--want to try to pick up on. Kind of adds an insight on Kakashi's character that I don't really explicitly say.**

**Midori Fujiwara

* * *

**

Kakashi reached his classroom earlier than usual, and the first thought that he had upon entering his own classroom was what time Naruto usually came in. Kakashi hated to have driven all that way to send Naruto home only to realize how much Naruto had to walk, without any transportation.

Kushina and Naruto were impoverished.

Eventually Kakashi's mental math got him to picking up Naruto every morning and sending him back in the afternoon.

Naruto's resistance to Kakashi's help began to fade away.

But then one morning, Naruto was spotted by one of the other kids coming out of Kakashi's car.

Naruto looked for a while in the direction of the kids who had saw him, and then told Kakashi, "I don't need the ride."

Kakashi quickly found the incentive for Naruto to say this, and replied, "Don't care about the other kids."

Naruto shook his head. "I'm old enough to do things on my own."

Then Naruto quickly gathered up his backpack and walked quickly off to the main school building.

Kakashi didn't stop him and just tossed his own messenger bag over his head and on to his shoulder, putting his hands into his pocket and walking slowly toward his classroom.

* * *

That day, the majority of the class had to leave early to get onto the bus for a field trip that the biology teachers had set up, going to some research facility ten or twenty miles to the east of the school.

Kakashi happened to know that Naruto was taking biology, probably wasn't going on the trip because he didn't want to waste the money on it.

Kakashi called Naruto up to his desk, and quickly handed Naruto the money needed for the trip and extra for anything he wished to buy on the way.

"Go, Naruto," Kakashi commanded. "You got to enjoy yourself sometimes."

* * *

Kakashi sent him home again that day.

Kakashi went up to Kushina and told her that Naruto went on the trip after he paid for it for Naruto. Naruto slipped into his room and closed the door, and Kakashi wasn't sure if it was in embarrassment.

Kushina thanked him and that left each other in awkward silence.

Kakashi quickly analyzed his surroundings, finally asking, "How many hours do you work every day?"

Kushina looked down and explained, "I work for the morning as secretary until about three and I'm home with Naruto until about six when I have to go for a night shift at a hospital in the emergency room until about three in the morning. But I work a bit overtime so that I can just go directly from my night shift to my morning shift."

She shuffled her feet. "It's…it's not much pay," she admitted.

Kakashi looked down at his watch, noting it was five thirty.

"Do you need a ride?" Kakashi asked.

Kushina looked startled for a moment, and then accepted, going to reach for her bag and coat and stepping out of the house after Kakashi. She yelled a quick goodbye to her son and sat on the opposite side of Kakashi's car.

* * *

The drive took about ten minutes, and Kushina thanked him while she exited.

"The least I can do," Kakashi replied, foot resting on the brake.

Kakashi returned home and slumped on his couch.

After a few minutes of just closing his eyes and burying his face into one of the pillows situated on his couch, he looked up and stared at the picture of his father on the shelf.

He stared a long time, but then tore his eyes off and reached for his bag to correct some math papers, allowing the numbers to trap him so he could lose himself in numerical enigma and forget.

* * *

**Just realized this was one of those shorter chapters as I was editing it. I'll crank out the next chapter within about a week, so don't lose me here just yet!**

**Midori Fujiwara**


	7. Chapter 7

**Short chapter...a bit of characterization. Enjoy all the same. Thanks readers!**

**Midori Fujiwara

* * *

**

Mitarashi came to visit him during lunch.

"Hey…" she said, walking over to his desk where Kakashi sat, holding a red pen over a few quizzes. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah," Kakashi forced himself to acquire a stern tone. "Everything's fine."

"You sure?" Mitarashi took a seat next to Kakashi. "I don't mind when people rant at me…I mean, I do it to other all the time whenever I get stressed or something. I can't be a hypocrite, so I'll listen to whatever shit you have, okay?"

Kakashi shrugged, and leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling of his classroom.

He sighed and closed his eyes, resting them for a moment, before saying, "Naruto tried to commit suicide last week."

Mitarashi said nothing.

Kakashi said nothing as well.

But finally Mitarashi admitted, "Naruto really looked up to his brother…before all the…crimes. There's so much conflict within himself. He doesn't know if he should love his brother or not."

Kakashi retained his silence.

"I hate to say it, Hatake, and I understand your concern," Anko continued. She breathed in and out once before saying further. "Kakashi…I know you really care about your students, but you…you can't get too attached or dragged into their problems."

Kakashi closed his eyes and opened them again. "I know," he replied. "It's just that…I'm really worried about him."

* * *

Kakashi lifted his foot off the brake pedal and rammed it against the accelerator, jerking the car forward.

"Mr. Hatake…?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi grunted, "Hn."

"Why…why do you care about me?"

Kakashi thought a long while. "Because you're my student," he finally decided to say.

"Exactly, I'm just a student….so why?"

Kakashi held some silence for a few minutes and finally said, "Because I know how you feel."

He heard Naruto mutter 'my ass' under his breath.

The car reached Naruto's home, but the block before Kakashi had noticed Kushina and some other people talking outside of the home. Kushina seemed to be begging, and Kakashi assumed that the other two were the owners demanding some long due rent.

Fortunately, they left as Naruto and Kakashi drove up to the curb, so Naruto saw none of this interaction.

Naruto stepped out of the car and gathered his belongings to exit. He reached the sidewalk and put his hand on Kakashi's car door to push it closed, but Kakashi interrupted him.

"My father committed suicide when I was about your age," Kakashi stated to Naruto.

Naruto froze for a moment, but then slammed the door and joined his mother to wave Kakashi thanks and goodbye.

Kakashi drove off, foot hard on the accelerator.

* * *

**Not much plot....blah...but all the while important for what will come next...**

**I'd love to hear from you!**

**Midori Fujiwara**


	8. Chapter 8

**Mini-twist ahead....**

**Midori Fujiwara

* * *

**

Naruto had long since accepted Kakashi as a substitute father figure, but a month after everything seemed to be going well, and even a dramatic rise in Naruto's grades, Naruto began to avoid Kakashi in every way possible. Kakashi would wait, but Naruto wouldn't meet him at the car to be sent home or to school.

Kakashi couldn't catch Naruto at all during school, and decided to investigate first-hand, knocking on the door the Uzumaki household.

There was no answer for a long while, and Kakashi put that piece together with what he had seen with the owners of the apartment a while back.

They had lost their home.

* * *

Kakashi dragged Naruto back into class when the class period bell rang and Naruto was on his way out to the next class.

"Naruto," Kakashi asked. "Where are you living now?"

Naruto said nothing, and jerked away from Kakashi.

Yet Kakashi found Naruto waiting by his car when he got out of school.

Naruto lead directions to his new location.

Kakashi discovered in shock that it was his mother's workplace. Naruto admitted that Naruto was now practically living in Kushina's office at work, and that it worked out, but only since Kushina worked two shifts and was only on break for three hours between her two different jobs.

Naruto lead him up to Kushina's office, and Kushina was surprised and looking heartbroken when she saw Kakashi come into her office. She looked down in embarrassment and shame for the living conditions that they were now in. Kakashi noticed how everything that was once in their home was now cluttered around her office.

Kakashi held silence, but then offered his own home for the two to stay.

He also offered his room and took refuge on his couch for the night to sleep.

* * *

Kushina came home from her late night shift, and Kakashi, being a light sleeper, woke up.

Kushina sat down in one of the available chairs that Kakashi had around his living room and sat in silence, staring at particularly nothing.

Kakashi decided that he should send her to her day shift and rose from the couch.

Kushina suddenly burst into a quiet fall of tears.

Kakashi, feeling utterly sympathetic, went to embrace the woman and let her cry.

He watched her cry and cry, leaning against him, while Kakashi only kept his arms around her and stared off at the picture of his father on his shelf.

* * *

Kakashi decided to stop by Mitarashi's room during lunch.

"Anko…" he said.

Anko looked up, and worry instantly crinkled her face when she saw a stressed Kakashi.

She quickly sat Kakashi down in a chair that she dragged up next to her own.

"I…I took them in," Kakashi said finally, to a listening Anko.

"Oh god…Hatake…." Anko responded. She looked down and then raised her eyes back up to Kakashi's eyes. "Kakashi…I'm really worried about you."

Kakashi noted the deep creases on her forehead.

"Don't be," he said, "I have this all on my own."

Anko said nothing. She closed her eyes for a moment before leaning over to reach across the table. She picked up her bag and shuffled through its contents.

"You look like you're starving," she said.

She handed him a wrapped sub, and Kakashi, who had forgotten his lunch yet again, took it gratefully.

"Kakashi…" Anko said, watching his hands quickly unwrap the food and take a deep bite of the sandwich.

"If there's anything…anything…" she said, reminding him that she was always open to help him out.

Kakashi nodded slowly, and stood up, noticing the time.

"It's a good sandwich," he said, thanking her without words and stepping out of her classroom.

* * *

**Sorry for the shortness! Hope you enjoyed it all the same though! Review while you can, please!**

**Midori Fujiwara**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm honestly saying that I thought this story would be like a fail...like 0 reviews and 0 everything, but apparently not, so thanks for all the support! My fuel is my audience!**

**Midori Fujiwara

* * *

**

Kakashi was jerked awake by his own conscience.

The bills were due.

Muttering a curse, he quickly shuffled through all the mail that he had tossed onto the kitchen table, taking a butcher knife and slicing through the envelopes, not bothering to try to find the letter opener.

Kakashi quickly wrote out all the checks, hearing Naruto shuffle out his room to see what Kakashi was doing.

"Naruto, what day is today?" Kakashi asked him, mind too busy to try to calculate the date at the moment.

Naruto answered after a moment of thought, and then looked paler than the second before.

Kakashi signed his papers and quickly closed the envelopes, passing by Naruto to head out the door when he noticed the strange expression on Naruto's face.

Kakashi tacitly asked Naruto what was wrong with a moment of eye contact.

Naruto whispered, "Today's the day."

Kakashi waited for more information.

"My brother's probation."

Kakashi froze, but then tried to take the new situation as calmly as he could.

"Well then…he'll just come home, won't he?"

Naruto nodded.

"Okay then," Kakashi said, deciding to deal with the stress of that later, and the two headed out to Kakashi's car.

* * *

Kushina met up with the two when they came home, and they made their preparations to go see Nagare "Kyuubi" Uzumaki.

Naruto went into his room and locked the door.

Kushina stood, frozen in stress, leaning against a wall, her hand holding up her head.

Kakashi slumped on his couch, resting his eyes.

"I'm scared about Naruto," Kakashi heard Kushina say.

"Don't worry about him," Kakashi replied. "You have to stress down sometimes, okay?" Kakashi swung his legs to the floor and walked over to Kushina. "Naruto's mature enough to deal with his brother once again in a sensible way. It's going to be hard for him, but I would put trust in him that Naruto's knows what he's doing."

Kushina said nothing, but Kakashi saw her quiver, and suspected tears were falling down her cheeks. "Oh god…" she said, her voice mortified, which proved that she was crying. "Thank you so much…you have no idea…no idea at all how fortunate we are…."

Kakashi said nothing, and dragged Kushina into his arms. Her tearful breath landed over the base of his neck and Kakashi suddenly felt his mouth turn toward her direction. He kissed her on the cheek.

He wasn't sure why he kissed her.

* * *

Nagare was taken home later than evening and they all sat down for dinner.

"So…who the fuck are you?" Nagare asked Kakashi.

Kakashi simply observed the probated brother of Naruto. He had red unruly hair that reached his chin but the same piercing blue eyes as Naruto's. Nagare reminded Kakashi a bit of how Naruto had first reacted when Kakashi was offering help to him.

"I'm helping you guys out while you guys sort all your problems out," Kakashi answered. "My name is Kakashi Hatake, and I'm Naruto's calculus teacher."

Nagare looked down at his plate of food.

Nagare smirked. "You know, even the prison food was better," he said, taking a bite and sniff of the dinner laid out in front of him.

Kushina looked ruined.

Naruto burst into rage.

"Then why don't you go back there to where you fucking belong?" Naruto yelled.

* * *

**Twists...twists....and finally the original pairing comes up...enjoy RainingSprinklesDownMyThroat!**

**Guys....review, yes? Whatcha think of "Kyuubi"?**

**Midori Fujiwara**


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you all for the support! Don't know where this story would be without you all!**

**Midori Fujiwara**

**

* * *

**

After the whole argument over the dinner table and everything had settled into an awkward silence, Kakashi dragged Naruto into his room and closed the door.

"Naruto," Kakashi scolded Naruto.

Naruto didn't look like he was ready to apologize.

"Naruto, you have to forgive your brother…it's going to be hard…of course things are going to be difficult at first, but Nagare himself is trying to forget his own past."

Naruto went up in protest. "But he doesn't even look like he knows he had done something wrong! Like he's pretending he hadn't done anything at all!"

"He's just trying to put himself out of that past frame," Kakashi explained. "He's trying to start from scratch to remake himself."

"What do _you _know about my brother?" Naruto demanded. "He was in a gang! He did drugs! He worked for the black market! He tried to _kill _me! How can I simply forget and forgive him? He has to at least act as though he's sorry—"

"Give it time, Naruto."

Naruto simmered down and looked at his feet. "You know, Mr. Hatake…"

Kakashi listened.

"I never got the chance…to thank you."

"Oh…" Kakashi was actually surprised to hear that at this time. "No need to thank me…don't worry about it…back then…back then, I would have wanted someone to help me as well."

Naruto stood quiet, and Kakashi quickly smelled the salt from fallen tears.

Kakashi stepped up and hugged Naruto just as a father would a son.

* * *

Kakashi stepped out of his apartment to send Kushina on her way to her night shift at the hospital. Kushina hesitated before closing the door.

"I'm not sure if Naruto can be left at home with Nagare…" Kushina said.

"Don't worry about it," Kakashi said.

Kushina looked up at Kakashi with tear-glazed eyes. He read many thoughts off her eyes.

Like she couldn't believe that any of this had ever happened.

"He's my son, you know," Kushina said, referring to her regret about Nagare.

Kakashi scooped Kushina up into an embrace. "Everything's under control," he repeated to assure her. "Just worry about yourself."

She looked up at him, eyes thanking him thousands of times for all that he had done for the three of them.

And Kakashi only leaned in to kiss her lightly on the lips.

* * *

**Well there's that KakashiKushina part that I promised some of my readers. Remember that all is evanescent.**

**Review!**

**And the fact that I have 29 stories is bothering me. I just need one more for thirty....and I am calling for inspiration! **

**Midori Fujiwara**


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you for all the support! Here's the next installment!**

**Midori Fujiwara

* * *

**

The next morning was Nagare's first day back to school.

Naruto had told Kakashi that he didn't want to be seen with his brother, but later reluctantly emerged from the same car as his criminal brother to go to school.

"You can go ahead," Naruto said.

Nagare quickly realized Naruto's intentions.

"What? You don't want to be seen with me?"

"That's right, and believe it," Naruto snapped. "I don't want to even know you."

"You fucking bastard," Nagare turned around to confront Naruto. "I'm really trying to just get together with my life and I….you…..you bitch…" Nagare trailed off, unable to say anything more.

Kakashi walked in between the two brothers to prevent any more fighting.

"You shouldn't have pulled the trigger in the first place! You have no idea at all how you destroyed our family!" Naruto yelled back from behind Kakashi.

Nagare turned and tried to look behind Kakashi to yell back at his brother, but Kakashi made sure that neither brother made eye contact with each other.

"I'm sorry you fucking idiot! I told you that I'm sorry! Just…just….I want to be accepted for who I am right now! Not for what I did…."

Naruto's jaw clenched. "You can't change what you did!"

"Naruto," Kakashi simply said. "Nagare."

The two of them shut up.

"Please," Kakashi said stiffly.

* * *

"Kakashi?" Anko asked, stepping into his room, noticing Kakashi's head on his desk. "Kakashi, are things alright?"

"Everything's good," Kakashi replied, talking to the desk.

Anko said nothing, knowing he was lying. "Nagare was recently admitted into my class."

"Oh well, that too," Kakashi said.

Kakashi felt her hand rest on his shoulder.

"I think…it's time to step down," Anko said.

"I know," Kakashi said. "I should….but….he's like a son to me…I can't…"

Anko squeezed his shoulder. "At least let me help. Have them stay with me for a while. I can help."

"No," Kakashi declined. "I…I don't want to bother you. Besides, everything is under control."

Anko said nothing.

Kakashi sighed and looked up at her, eyes weary.

"Actually I'm…a bit….defeated," he finally admitted.

Anko looked down at him for a long time before hugging him.

Kakashi gladly accepted her embrace and returned it, but tightened his arms around her body, squeezing her against him as though he was trying to release the stress he had.

"Don't forget to take care of yourself," Anko said.

Kakashi breathed in and moved his head off her shoulder, looking directly at her.

Anko put a hand on his cheek and Kakashi closed his eyes and turned his head toward her hand so that his lips caressed her fingers, kissing her fingers.

Kakashi took one arm off his tight embrace around her and took her wrist, kissing her hand, and eventually placed her hand on the back of his neck while he leaned in to capture her lips with his own.

Anko tilted her head up to allow his kiss to settle on her.

The tip of Kakashi's tongue slipped out of his mouth to lick and coax Anko's open. Once he gained access, he closed her mouth fully over hers and continued their passionate kiss, backing her body into the white board, ignorant of the eraser shelf on the bottom of the whiteboard that kept her hips bent toward him.

Kakashi knew he was the dominant one in the kiss, because Anko only went along with whatever Kakashi did.

A cold hard fact hit him.

He suddenly withdrew, leaving her gasping for air and lips glossy with moisture. She looked as though she had no idea what had just happened to her.

Kakashi stepped back. "I can't…oh god….I can't….I'm…" Kakashi stepped further back from Anko, though his arms still wanted to keep her close to him. "I'm…with….his mother…"

Anko stared speechlessly at him and Kakashi looked away, unable to make eye contact. He saw Anko slowly step out of his classroom, sensing that it was a good time to leave.

Once she did so, Kakashi slumped back down into his chair and rubbing his hands on his face, hoping that maybe the stress would brush away.

* * *

**So there's the KakashiAnko that I had promised...hm another twist....**

**I love how you guys have absolutely _no idea _where this story is going....any predictions...?**

**Lol...don't forget to review!**

**Midori Fujiwara**


	12. Chapter 12

**So...we are more or less reaching the climax of the story...but a few more derivatives and that should get you to guessing where I'm going with all this. Apparently none of my readers have any idea what the hell I'm doing with this....I love the power I can acquire with words....**

**Midori Fujiwara

* * *

**

Kakashi made his way over to Anko's classroom during lunch the following day, lazy and tired, and not wanting the grade the remaining papers he had in hand. He assumed that Anko, being a chemistry teacher, would remember at least a substantial part of her mathematics course from high school or even college, and slapped a pile onto her desk where she was working on reading some short-answer essays of students.

Anko looked up at Kakashi and creases came over on her forehead. Her worried eyes looked back up at him, questioning what was wrong now.

But all he looked at where her lips, which he suddenly craved once again, wanting to taste her mouth like the day before. Kakashi looked down at his desk to suppress his desire and asked if Anko would please grade the tests for him.

Anko nodded and picked one of the tests up, staring at the first question.

"I only remember parts of how to do these kinds of problems…" Anko admitted. "You do realize that you don't need to use any of these kinds of processes since there are so many shortcuts you learn about later?"

"They don't know that yet," Kakashi groaned, and went over to her board, picking up a black marker and draw an x and y axis.

Anko turned around to watch him draw a graph of a generally straight line that suddenly curved upwards at an extremely high exponential rate. On this line of a function, he added two points near the sharp curve up and on the sharp curve up, naming the points A and B respectively. Kakashi thought a moment, then added a point in the middle of these points on the line, then drew a tangent line through the point.

"So…that's my life," Kakashi said, pointing to the function. "And that tangent is the derivative of the function of my life."

"You sound like a nerd trying to create a deep simile," Anko blatantly stated.

"Derivative…the instantaneous rate of change in a function with respect to one or more variables," Kakashi smirked, clearly carried away with the subject he enjoyed the most. "And that's a pretty steep line, considering that's how much more stress I'm carrying."

Anko fell quiet once again, and Kakashi's smile quickly disappeared, realizing that he was still living his life, and that he still had to go through the rest of it. He sighed and sat down in an open chair next to Anko, who had put aside her chemistry papers to look over what she could understand and remember of calculus.

"Thanks, Anko," Kakashi said, and laid his head down on the desk to catch some sleep that he had never got to take at his own home.

* * *

Kakashi picked up Naruto and Nagare to send them home with him in the car. After hopping in and driving for a few moments, Nagare asked, "So…why are you helping us?"

Kakashi sighed, realizing that he'd have to explain as he did for Naruto all over again. "Because I care for my students."

"Tch," Nagare said, and Kakashi noticed in the rearview mirror that Naruto looked irritated suddenly once again.

"So…" Nagare continued, obviously not liking awkward silence. "Are we going to be doing anything special?"

"Not really," Kakashi answered.

Nagare rolled his eyes. "You guys are so boring. I'll go hang out with my friends today?"

Kakashi could feel that Naruto was tempted to say something, and gave Naruto a look in the mirror that warned him of the consequences.

"Sure, Nagare, after all the homework is done though," Kakashi said.

"Oh fine," Nagare answered, once more rolling his eyes.

Kakashi jerked himself awake in the middle of the night once again, but realized that it wasn't himself that had awoken him, but instead, Nagare stepping into the house at the late hour, finally returning home after a long day of hanging out with friends. Kakashi suspected that these friends were the ones from before.

Nagare stumbled into the house, and Kakashi pulled himself off the couch, cursing to himself, realizing that there was something more than just Nagare being tired that dropped him to the ground. Kakashi could already smell the alcohol on Nagare's breath, could already see the bloodshot eyes he would have when he woke up later the next day.

Kakashi bent over to pick Nagare up off the floor and rested him on the sofa that served as Kakashi's bed.

Kakashi didn't think he'd need his bed.

After all, the only things streaming through his mind were talk of the past, and how things could eventually cycle back into another tragedy once again.

* * *

But Kakashi's weary mind dropped into unconsciousness until Kushina woke him up early the same morning, with a soft kiss on his forehead. Kakashi sat up, suddenly feeling the aches that his back and arms received for sleeping on the wood floor. Kushina cradled herself into Kakashi's arms, while Kakashi leaned against his wall, watching the slow breathing of Nagare on his sofa.

"He was with…his gang?" she asked, in a hushed voice.

Kakashi thought for a long while. "At least he's back," he said.

Naruto and Kakashi came home from school. Kakashi whipped the door open hastily to see if Nagare was doing any better on that sofa, but the air in his home felt different.

Naruto realized that the window was open.

Kakashi's mouth slightly dropped open, betrayed by someone that he was helping all along.

"See!" Naruto yelled, pointing at the open window. "I told you! He's never going to change! I told you! I _told _you!"

Kushina came home later, seeing Naruto's door closed and Kakashi staring out an open window. Some flashback from the past replayed in her mind, and no words were needed to explain to her what had happened. She quickly released tears and joined Kakashi next to the window, looking out as if Nagare was just joking around and standing at the fire escape.

"He's gone, he ran away again….he's gone, he's gone…"Kushina cried, unable to retain her emotions and pressed herself into Kakashi. Kakashi accepted this contact and dragged her closer against him, his arms wrapping around her shaking body, feeling wet stains form on his shirt.

Apparently Naruto was concerned about his mother's outburst of tears and walked into the living room to spot Kakashi and Kushina in a distance too close to be called completely unrelated. His concerning expression turned into one of disbelief, seeing a shocked Kakashi look in his direction.

And then anger.

"I…I can't believe it!" Naruto yelled, even angrier and even more forced than the voice he had used for his runaway older brother.

Kushina knew what was going on and her sobbing turned into loud gasps of air, more tears running onto Kakashi's shirt.

"Naruto..." Kakashi said.

"I can't believe it! You…you're taking advantage of this time for your _love life_?"

"Naruto, please—" Kakashi repeated.

"You guys don't get it! You guys are completely…argh! You guys…you guys don't care!" Naruto gave up trying to express his feelings and retreated back into his room.

Kakashi let go of Kushina and rushed over to the door before Naruto could lock it. He pushed against the door, catching the door swing close before it slammed into the frame.

"Naruto! Please!" Kakashi begged, but Naruto's anger won and slammed the closed door into place.

"Naruto…"

"Fuck off with my mom!" Naruto shot back.

"Please Naruto, please…" Kakashi leaned into the door in an effort to hear Naruto's reaction.

Naruto said nothing.

"Naruto, I'm sorry," Kakashi apologized, cursing the hard lump that had formed in his throat. No, Kakashi wasn't going to let himself cry over this shit. It wasn't going to happen. "Naruto, I'm sorry, I got carried away…I…both of us needed someone to lean on—"

"I can't believe this is happening!" Naruto yelled, but his voice was muffled, as though he had stuffed his face into a pillow. "I can't believe it at all!"

Kakashi bit his lip. "I'm sorry, Naruto, I'm sorry…I didn't know it would…I don't know what to tell you…I…I shouldn't have started from the beginning…shit, I mean…I shouldn't have gotten involved…I should have stayed on the outside."

"Yeah you shouldn't have!" Naruto yelled back at him in a curse. "You're just a fucking teacher! I told you to stay out of it! Teachers don't help their students like—"

"Naruto, Naruto…" Kakashi breathed in quickly, and his eyes watered. Kakashi cursed himself and blinked, wiping away what tears had gotten the chance to form. "Shit…Naruto, I….you have no idea…no idea how….Naruto, you're like a son to me."

Naruto didn't have a retort.

"I just….hope things turn out well…" Kakashi quickly said, standing defeated by the locked door.

* * *

**Don't forget to review. Reviews make me happy and tell me that you are an active, better than the rest, audience.**

**Midori Fujiwara**


	13. Chapter 13

Nagare came back home the next day in the late afternoon, a few hours before dinner. Naruto and Kushina were elsewhere, and Kakashi grabbed Nagare's wrist, pulling him into his apartment.

It was obvious to Nagare that Kakashi was angry, and Nagare didn't fight off the older man's grip. Kakashi pulled him to the middle of the living room and then let go, stepping back to lean against a wall.

But Kakashi didn't ask about Nagare's whereabouts.

"Nagare," Kakashi said instead. "Why was the gun even drawn?"

Nagare, pissed that Kakashi hadn't asked the question he prepared an answer for, shot back, "You're really brave to ask that so suddenly."

Dinner was ready and all four of them were seated down in front of the food, each waiting for the other to start eating.

"Fuck it," Kakashi said to himself under his breath and scooped food into his bowl to accompany his rice. After his example, the rest of the diners followed his actions.

But Naruto had just come home from his friend's house and arrived to see Nagare's face.

So Naruto was too angry to eat much. Naruto was first to finish eating, and Nagare, seeing his brother upset, and getting upset himself, finished second. They both retreated to separate parts of Kakashi's home.

Kushina and Kakashi were left.

Kakashi couldn't finish the rest of whatever food he had left, even though he had practically taken only three bits. He closed his eyes and rested his elbows on the table to support his head up.

None of this should have been happening. But it was.

Kakashi stood up from his chair suddenly, and made his way to the kitchen, later clearing the plate and washing the dishes noisily in frustration.

Then he slumped onto his couch, and closed his eyes, eyebrows furrowed, trying to forget.

He felt Kushina's body sit down next to him, her cool hand covering his in an attempt to comfort him.

Kakashi jerked his hand away from her, and stood up, but considered Kushina's feelings and looked back at her face. A few seconds of eye contact were an hourlong of conversation that was avoided, and Kakashi had implied in his actions that he didn't want any part closer anymore.

Kushina's head went down, and Kakashi wasn't curious or strong enough to see what emotion she held on her face.

Kakashi took his house keys and stepped out the door, going out for a long walk.

* * *

Anko should have been done grading his papers by now, and Kakashi went to pick them up in the morning. He said nothing entering her classroom, and nothing exiting her classroom once again, and he was afraid to look back to see the concern that would be in her eyes.

But Kakashi felt guilty for being abrupt and went back to her during lunch.

Anko watched him take a seat next to her, eyes devoid of any explicit emotion. He stared at her eyes a bit longer to see if he could try to read what was going through her mind, but he couldn't, and just let his feelings out instead.

"Things aren't going well," he said simply.

Only then did he realize that her eyes were empty only because she was trying to suppress her own tears. Her effort failed and she looked up, sniffing, trying to contain the messy tears, but they escaped, running off her eyelids and following each other down her cheeks.

"You weren't wrong, Kakashi," she said, pained. "You weren't wrong to help Naruto…but…oh god…." She rubbed the tears off her own face and closed her eyes, breathing in slowly.

Kakashi put his face in his left hand, and closed his eyes, heat building under his eyes.

Anko put her hand on her table and let her sadness run.

Kakashi blamed her tears on himself and dragged her to his chest, creating a shelter for her of his arms.

Anko's hands pressed against his torso, pushing herself away from him.

Kakashi kept his hands tight around her, insisting that he provide her a crying shoulder.

"Kushina and I have…broken—" he said, offering permission to get close to him.

"No," Anko declined. "I don't want to lean on you when it's _you_ who needs someone to lean on."

Kakashi froze, strength drained out of him.

No, he wasn't in control anymore. He wasn't the counselor who helped everyone any longer. He wasn't the savior, the one that other's looked to for help. He was no longer the strong one.

Now he was the weak one. Now _he _needed the help.

As this realization finally dawned on him, Kakashi broke his own restraints and tears rolled down his own face, as he cursed his life, and covered his face in his own hands.

Now Anko embraced him gently and offered him a crying shoulder.

* * *

**Breaking down.....**

**Reviews please! I give thanks to all my peeps, especially with this past holiday!**

**Midori Fujiwara**


	14. Chapter 14

**Well then....the story is coming to an end very soon.....**

**This is one of the more emotionally twisted chapters, enjoy.**

**Midori Fujiwara

* * *

**

Kakashi, having admitted to himself that things were out of his control, came home and proposed something over the dinner table, making sure to do this after everyone had eaten.

"Obviously, we're all stressed and pissed. Now's a good time to share these thoughts and secrets that we've kept from each other," Kakashi said, resting his elbows on the table. "Kushina," he said, knowing that Kushina would take the conversation seriously, "why don't you start?"

She hesitated, not knowing any of Kakashi's intentions, but later said, "I just want everyone to lead a normal life…Kakashi…has provided us everything, and…we have to be thankful that we're so fortunate…and…" she trailed off, unable to continue.

Kakashi kept his insouciance as much as possible.

Kakashi looked toward Naruto and Nagare. "I just want you two to get along and at least try to understand each other…speak your heart out now so that it could be helped."

Naruto took a long deep breath, starting out softly, but finding that he couldn't help but raise his voice. "I just don't get…Nagare….why? I looked up to you, I…was completely devastated when you pointed the gun..what were you thinking? What the hell was going through your mind? What…possessed you to do that? And then! And then you came back from prison like nothing every happened? Nagare, this isn't a fucking joke!"

"I…I have an inner demon and that's why I'm called Kyuubi," Nagare said solemnly, his usual cockiness gone. "I'm in a gang, I do drugs….I drink…I'm a _bad _kid. That's why I pointed the gun at you. And frankly…I'm only happy to be out of jail so that I can join my buddies again and tell them what it was like in prison! I don't fucking care! I couldn't care any _less _about you! Besides, you already hate me, why should I even _try _to make up for what I've done! I was destined! It's over! I can't change for shit! I'll just be who I always was and not waste the fucking effort!"

"Why did you point the fucking gun!" Naruto asked, rage spilling over, repeating his question.

"Because I'm a _bad _kid, Naruto! Because I'm a really _bad _kid!" Nagare shot back. "Don't you get that? Don't try anymore to save me and bring me back to normal, because I'm already going to _hell_!"

But only Kakashi noticed that Nagare had stuttered, and that there was still more than Nagare was still bottling up.

Kakashi later caught up to Nagare when the other two were busy.

"Nagare," he said patiently. "What's wrong?"

Nagare bit his lip and replied, "I can't say. I can't tell you."

* * *

**Hm...so Nagare has secrets of his own....**

**Anyone want to take a wild guess?**

**Midori Fujiwara**


	15. Chapter 15

**This chapter is quick and pretty random, if I would say so myself.**

**Enjoy in any case.**

**Midori Fujiwara

* * *

**

Kakashi had forgotten lunch again.

Anko tossed him an extra sandwich that she had packed, anticipating that.

"Sorry," he apologized. "About all the shit I'm putting on you."

But she shook her head. "It's the least I can do for you."

Kakashi stopped in the middle of eating. "What have I ever done for you that you need to pay me back for?"

Anko paused, as if she wasn't sure of the answer herself. "You really need my help. You're a good person for trying to help chaos, and you shouldn't be stressed like this."

"Everything's simmering down now, I guess," Kakashi said optimistically.

Of course, once he got some more information out of Nagare.

Anko smiled weakly, "I hope things are as how you say it."

* * *

Kakashi waited by his car at school for at least fifteen minutes for both Naruto and Nagare. But after a while, he decided to get into the car and drive around, hoping to maybe find them somewhere. If they both hadn't taken flight that was.

Kakashi sighed, waiting for the red light to switch, but then as he stepped on the gas pedal, he noticed both Naruto and Nagare….

Simply walking.

They looked as though they were having a conversation as well.

Kakashi felt a heavy weight lift from him, and he drove over to the curb on the opposite side of the street as the two, taking in as much as he could of the moment.

He noticed the two slow down and face an opposing group composed of three people.

Both groups stopped and stared at each other.

Kakashi leaned into the window, observing the two groups exchange a few words. Kakashi wasn't sure what to make of the conversation by the hidden expressions of them all. Their faces were all not facing Kakashi, and Kakashi couldn't quite see their lips either.

But suddenly, Nagare stepped up in front of Naruto, arm backing Naruto.

In almost a protective way.

Kakashi's eyes caught a glint of light from one of the other boy's belt.

No.

Kakashi flipped out of his car, watching a black gun whip out, barrel pointing at Nagare.

Kakashi felt nothing, senseless, only seeing a thumb go down on the safety, the click echoing in his head.

Kakashi threw himself in front of Nagare, pushing both Naruto and his brother down on the sidewalk.

A shot sounded somewhere in the middle of that, and Kakashi could feel nothing but something jab deep into his right calf.

Bullshit to the person who stated that the bullet of a gun hurt.

It really didn't hurt.

It paralyzed.

Kakashi cursed and forced himself to stand up, facing the armed boy and his two sidekicks, leaning more on his left leg.

"Get off the scene, motherfucker!" the armed boy said. "This is between Kyuubi and me!"

His gang, Kakashi realized, feeling awkward as his right shoe got filled with a warm liquid that could only be his own blood.

Now it hurt.

Kakashi bit his lip hard.

"Too late!" the gang member yelled.

Shit.

Kakashi heard three more shots, aimed at his torso. The force of the bullet knocked the air out of his lungs.

He struggled for breath.

Kakashi wasn't particularly thinking anything. In fact, as he collapsed to the floor, his mind was quite blank, and only somewhere in the back of his mind he was aware that he was dying.

He noticed Nagare whip out a gun from his own belt and point it at the opposing group of kids.

Kakashi fell, hearing last shots in fading distance of his unconsciousness.

* * *

**Review guys, I want to hear your responses of my created actions...**

**Midori Fujiwara**


	16. Chapter 16

**Happy Holidays! Last installment is your cheap present from me!**

**Enjoy.**

**Midori Fujiwara

* * *

**

Kakashi had already expected to wake up in an unfamiliar environment so when he awoke to the sound of beeping and more or less hospital like sounds, he wasn't surprised at all. The smell of sanitary cleaners and anti-septic things tickled his nose.

He lifted his hand to look at his own self.

So he wasn't dead?

Almost immediately, nurses and doctors realized he had regained consciousness.

Kakashi saw familiar faces however: Naruto's glistening eyes, Kushina's wet cheeks, Nagare's furrowed eyebrows….Anko's tear-stained face.

"I'm I okay? Am I dead?" Kakashi asked, turning to a person in a white jacket.

The doctor remained stoned-face, experienced with telling bad news.

"You…" he started and then started again. "You _are _dying."

For some reason, Kakashi didn't have a strong reaction to those words. He didn't feel like he cared anymore.

If anything, he only felt a little nostalgia for his life.

But he guessed…he was ready to move on.

"Okay," Kakashi said, calmly, but in contrast to him, his familiars' faces crinkled into sorrow.

"I think…" the doctor began.

Understanding, Kushina, Anko, and Nagare quietly stepped out. Naruto stayed behind, face staring down at the tile floor, hands gripped against the bed.

He was shaking.

The doctors and nurses as well, decided to step out of the room, and leave the two to their own time.

Naruto let out a sob, and Kakashi watched three or four drops fall straight to the floor.

"I get it now…" Naruto cried softly. "I get why Nagare was the way he was…."

Kakashi said nothing.

"I forgave him already, Mr. Hatake, okay? Don't let that darken your mind…"

Kakashi smiled genuinely and Naruto's tears only augmented.

"Thank you for _everything_!" Naruto shouted. "I'm…so sorry it had to end up this way! I'm so sorry!" And Naruto's heart bled, pouring clear blood from his eyes that trailed streams toward his quivering jaw.

"It's okay, Naruto, it's okay," Kakashi reassured Naruto. "I'm actually….more happy than sad right now. Everything worked out…I helped a kid and his family….I allowed the police to catch a gang…I took a bullet like an honorable samurai…I grew up to work for a job that I enjoy…I finished grading those tests…which most you failed, by the way—"

Kakashi stopped when Naruto put his head against the railing, breathing stunted, whispering what sounded like 'no, no, no' over and over again.

"Naruto…" Kakashi sighed. "It's fine. Stay strong, Naruto…"

He took his right hand and placed it heavily on Naruto's blond hair, almost forgetting how to use the muscles in his arm. He messed up Naruto's hair a bit, just in a fatherly fashion.

"Naruto, Naruto, look up at me," he said.

Naruto struggled to do this, but opened his eyes after sniffing and rubbing his eyes.

"But you got an A," Kakashi smiled.

Naruto looked bewildered, but understood how Kakashi wanted him to forget and to just move on. He rubbed his eyes dry again, and bent over to hug Kakashi tightly.

Kakashi returned the hug lightly, a bit weak from the morphine.

"You were a good student," Kakashi added. "Made your teacher proud…keep doing that okay?"

"I promise," Naruto said, sobs choking him.

"Good," Kakashi said, and felt Naruto release his embrace. Naruto stepped back.

"Bye…Mr. Hatake…" Naruto said, tears starting up again. "You'll be missed."

"Stay strong, Naruto…" Kakashi reminded him.

Naruto walked out of the room, looking back one more time to make eye contact with Kakashi for the last time.

Kakashi noticed a figure looming outside the door, looking in.

"Mitarashi?" he asked, and his guess was confirmed when she stepped into room and walked slowly over to his window, avoiding talk of death, apparently, and Kakashi admired the effort.

"You have a good view," she said, peering out the window.

"Yeah…" Kakashi agreed, but when she turned her head, he noticed his eyes were focused on her, rather than any scenary outside.

"I'm surprised you're not crying, you're so worried about me all the time, I started to worry what would happen to you if you saw me worse…" Kakashi stated.

Anko took a few steps to the side of his bed, looking down at the area of his bullet wounds.

"I've already cried," she simply said, but the light from the window hit her face in such a way that Kakashi could see a layer of tears forming over her eyes again. Anko blinked to distribute the tear and keep her poker face.

"Hey, I'm sorry about all that stress…and I never really got to pay you back for those lunches…" Kakashi continued.

"That doesn't matter," she stated, a bit angrily, and her eyes closed, forehead wrinkling. She swallowed her breath and looked up at the ceiling.

"Anko, look at me for a second?"

She did that, and a runaway tear drop slide off her eyelid. Anko used her hand to wipe away any extraneous moisture that didn't contain itself over her eyes, focusing her eyes back on Kakashi's once again.

Kakashi's hand raised up to her cheek and slid back to her ear and eventually the back of her neck. He pulled her in close until their lips were inches apart.

"We could have been something, you know?" he commented softly, and closed the distance, pulling up his free hand to take the other side of her face.

It was more or less a long but soft passion, carrying a hint of sorrow, like the last kiss before a couple would break up, in substitute for a hard goodbye.

They drew away, and Anko noticed that some of her tears had landed on his face. He pulled his palm back a bit, and with his thumb, cleared away a small stream of tear lining her cheek.

"At least I get my peace of mind I always wanted right? "

Anko blinked a few times, and tiny droplets of crystal like drops hung on her eyelashes.

"I love you, Kakashi," she said simply, following his soft tone.

"Everything worked all out right, right?"

"I love you, Kakashi," she repeated, oblivious to his optimism as he was being oblivious to her confession.

"Now I can finally sleep…and I don't have to be disturbed by an alarm clock…or a noisy neighbor…"

"Kakashi, I _love _you," Anko said, more desperately. "I don't want you to leave—"

He interrupted her with another kiss, a short brief one.

"Stay strong," he said, as he repeated with Naruto.

But it was different this time, because he felt his breath catching up to his words.

Anko's face was no longer dry.

"I love you too, Anko. I'm sorry I'm leaving so early…"

She said nothing, putting her face in her hands.

"Anko, I love you," he repeated, making fun of how she had done the same. "Anko…I love you…I don't know if you heard me…"

That forced a small laugh out of her. One simple stressed sound that immediately descended into sobs.

"Don't cry, Anko," Kakashi said.

She shook her head.

He reached up to push away some tears and waited until she calmed down again before he pulled her down into an embrace and let her tears dry on him, in the same way his stress had once soaked her shoulder.

Following that, Anko lifted herself slowly, still leaning over Kakashi, who was watching the green line of his heartbeat intensely.

"That's a beautiful graph isn't it? I wonder what function…would create that line…" he said.

Kakashi felt a wave of blackness cross his eyes and cause some hallucinated pressure against his chest. Sounds began to echo and amplify continuous beeps…

He rose into a swallow stage of unconsciousness.

He noticed the green line descending….

"Heh…what's the derivative of that, hm?"

* * *

**Hm...not so much of a happy ending, I'm sorry.**

**But a gift that I could get from you is.....a review! Thank you all readers for sticking with me through this whole story. It really has been a pleasure!**

**And thank you RainingSprinklesDownMyThroat! Had it not been for you, this story would have never been thought up of or created! This story was written par request for you, and I hope you enjoyed reading it and as I enjoyed writing it. That goes for all my readers!**

**Midori Fujiwara**


End file.
